Pho L’amour Cafe in Milwaukee invites you to experience the magic of one of the greatest noodle soups in the world with this easy-to-follow traditional Vietnamese Pho recipe.
Made from scratch, the signature broth is flavorful and light at the same time, enhanced with cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise.
The soup is utterly addictive, and every spoonful leaves you wanting more!
Pho L’amour Cafe in Milwaukee has been in the works for a while now. It’s been quietly made and remade by various family’ Thanh Truc Ly ( Lý Thanh Trúc) members since she lived in Vietnam when she was a student until she moved to the US in 2006.
We’ve compared notes and debated furiously about how the latest iteration compares to the (many) bowls of Pho soup we slurped during our lives in Vietnam, and our favorite Pho restaurants back home here in Saigon & Hanoi..
We take our Pho very seriously. One of the greatest noodle soups in the whole world commands respect!
And I am very pleased to report every member of the Thanh Truc Ly family wholeheartedly approves of this final recipe!
This homemade Pho recipe is actually quite straightforward – but you do need a very large pot!
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If you’re wondering, “What is Pho?” then you’re probably also wondering, “Why is she so bonkers over it???”
I don’t blame you. It looks like a relatively harmless bowl of beef noodle soup.
That is until you take your first slurp.
The Pho soup broth is everything. It’s light yet full of flavor, deceptively beefy, savory, complex, has the tiniest hint of richness, and is filled with beautiful spices like cinnamon.
It is, without question, one of the best soups in the whole world!
Pho is the first thing you seek upon landing in the Vietnamese restaurant in Milwaukee – Pho L’amour Cafe’ restaurant, always choose vendors crowded with locals rather than tourists!
The recipe for Vietnamese Pho in Milwaukee – Pho L’amour Cafe restaurant
Even though you’ll have to lift a sizable amount of beef and bones, I think you’d be amazed at how easy making pho is. More than anything, it’s a huge pot and more time!
Quick boil: For a gorgeous, clear soup, boil the meat for five minutes to remove contaminants;
Scum: you’ll be shocked at how much disgusting stuff comes out;
Clean the bones to remove all the disgusting debris;
Simmer the bones, meat, water, ginger, onion, and spices (star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, and coriander) for three hours.
Take out the brisket; some is used as a topping for pho; the remaining portion can be used in the recipes below;
Simmer the bones alone for an additional 40 minutes;
Put strain on; after that
Spoon onto noodles in bowls and top with toppings!
Top beef for the broth of Pho soup
Using a combination of meat and bones is the only method to ensure that the broth has an adequate amount of beef flavor.
We tried several times, and I promise you that using simple bones would not provide enough flavor to the soup. And it bothers me that there are so many pho recipes online that only call for bones.
Using the proper amount of beef meat and bones is the single most crucial ingredient in a pho recipe. This is when most recipes go wrong, leaving the broth flavorless.
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Spices for Pho Broth and Other Ingredients
Aside from the beef, the remaining components in the broth are really simple!
Before adding the spices to the stew, they are roasted to enhance their flavor. Additionally, the ginger and onion are charred to give the broth a faintly smoky flavor. This is a little-known but crucial step that gives this pho recipe its distinctive, traditional flavor.
How to serve Pho at the Pho L’amour Cafe restaurant?
The classic way to serve Pho is with:
rice noodles – fresh or dry;
thinly sliced raw beef that cooks to a perfect medium rare when the hot broth is ladled over – see below for more information;
Piles of bean sprouts, Thai basil and coriander/cilantro on the side – help yourself as you eat the pho;
lime wedges; and hoisin sauce and sriracha (or other chili sauce).
Typically, the bowls come out with just noodles, beef, and broth, and then everything else is served on the side.
Thinly sliced raw beef for Pho – best cut
I like to use beef tenderloin for the raw beef slices. While that’s a premium cut that is a bit costly, you only need about 30g / 1 per serving so a bit goes a long way!
The beef is pink because pouring the broth over raw beef slices cooks it to medium rare, which is how it’s traditionally served and how I love it.
But if the thought of pink beef in your soup is off-putting, it’s an easy fix – just dunk the beef into the pot of hot broth first, it will cook in 10 seconds!
I say this is a straightforward recipe because there are no tricky techniques involved. But it does involve handling mounds of meat and bones, a big pot of broth and lots of patience as it simmers away on the stove, working its magic.
So why make Pho at home?
If you love Pho as much as I do but don’t live in reasonable proximity to a (good) Pho restaurant;
If you want to impress at a gathering with something different. This recipe will serve 6 as a full meal, or 10 to 12 smaller bowls as part of a larger banquet. Add some Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, Lemongrass Chicken, Bun Cha (Vietnamese Pork Meatballs) or the famous Vietnamese Caramel Pork!
To save money – you’d pay $90+ for 6 bowls of Pho in the city;
You feel smug with a stash of extra special things in the freezer – this broth keeps for months; or
Your idea of a leisurely Sunday involves pottering around in the kitchen (Pho is a great Sunday pottering project!)
Please call Hotline: 4142490402 (Whatsap- Viber) to reserve to best serve! Welcome to Pho L’amour Cafe taste Vietnamese restaurant in Milwaukee!
CONTACT – PHO L’AMOUR CAFE
➢ Pho L’amour Cafe – one of the greatest Asian restaurant in Milwaukee, where specializing in selling Asian, Vietnamese foods, especially the best pho in Milwaukee.
Website : https://pholamourcafe.com
Address: 16960 W. Greenfield Ave suite 2 Brookfield WI 53005
Open: 10:30 – 20:30
Hotline: 2622028018 or 4142490402 (Whatsap- Viber)
